Sprint coming out with a nerd's dream on prepaid

[rudeguy]

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Sprint-Shakes-Up-Prepaid-Mobile-DataVoice-Pricing-108265



• $25 for unlimited messaging, email, data and web with 300 minutes of voice per month.
• $40 for unlimited messaging, email, data and web with 1,200 minutes of voice per month.
• $60 for unlimited messaging, email, data and web with unlimited voice.


That first one sounds perfect for me and my son. Now the only question is will I be able to use their fancy new phones on it....

 

[rudeguy]

ninja edit!

 

[AstroManLuca]

That first one sounds perfect for me and my son. Now the only question is will I be able to use their fancy new phones on it....

That is a very good question. Boost Mobile already has unlimited talk, text, and data for $50/mo, but none of their phones are really capable of taking advantage of the data connection. They have a BlackBerry Curve, but it's the old 8330 model and it's $60/mo.

If you can use anything on here it might be worth it. Think of how much you could potentially save over two years by spending $40 a month instead of $70! You lose the phone subsidy but $30 x 24 months = $720, more than enough to cover the cost of even the highest end smartphones.

 

[SunnyD]

Err... iirc this is going to be for Virgin Mobile only, with limited phone choices. Sprint is revamping their prepaid option under the Sprint brand to flat $0.07/minute voice. The flat monthly pricing will not be available under Sprint, but only Virgin Mobile only.

Further, the Virgin Mobile plans are limited to Sprint's network only, with EXTRA roaming charges and no data roaming.

 

[rudeguy]

Err... iirc this is going to be for Virgin Mobile only, with limited phone choices. Sprint is revamping their prepaid option under the Sprint brand to flat $0.07/minute voice. The flat monthly pricing will not be available under Sprint, but only Virgin Mobile only.

Further, the Virgin Mobile plans are limited to Sprint's network only, with EXTRA roaming charges and no data roaming.

Sprint has announced that the company is planning to dole out some significant attention to their prepaid service options under both the Sprint and Virgin Mobile brands

Sprint's CEO is also predicting 70% prepaid add in 2010.

 

[SunnyD]

Sprint's CEO is also predicting 70% prepaid add in 2010.

Because all of their plans are good deals on pre-paid. But I reiterate:

Sprint today announced a wholly new approach to the way it is organizing its pre-paid cellular businesses. Sprint is separating its pre-paid businesses into four distinct units, each with their own focus.

Virgin Mobile USA: Sprint says that Virgin Mobile will serve as its high-end pre-paid service, and it will offer advanced devices with plans that place more emphasis on texting and web use rather than voice use. Starting May 12, $25 will get users unlimited messaging, email, data and web with 300 minutes per month. The $40 plan bumps the minutes offered up to 1,200, and $60 per month buys unlimited everything. The plans are called "Beyond Talk." Users will be able to add BlackBerry services to any of these plans for just $10 more per month. Virgin's Broadband2Go will still fall under this set of plans. It provides no-contract wireless broadband for devices such as laptops.

Boost Mobile: Boost will focus more on talking and texting. The $50 unlimited plan provides unlimited talk, text, web, 411, email and IM. New handsets being offered by Boost include the Samsung Rant, and Kyocera Incognito, Mirro SCP3810 and Juno.

Assurance Wireless: This service, launched earlier this year, is a free service provided to low-income households across the U.S. Qualifying citizens receive a free cell phone and 200 free minutes of airtime for local and long-distance calling per month.

Common Cents Mobile: Last, Sprint is launching a very inexpensive plan that lets users pay by the minute. Users will pay $0.07 per minute of use, and $0.07 per text message sent. Simple phones, such as the LG 101, Samsung M340, and Kyocera S2300 are available from Common Cents.

Pay very close attention to the fact that they are distinctly different business units with distinctly different product plans.

This has been discussed to death already over at howardforums. These "unlimited" plans are specific to Virgin Mobile customers only. You can not use anything other than the phones offered via Virgin Mobile. You can not activate any Sprint/Boost (or other carrier CDMA) phone to any of these Virgin Mobile prepaid plans.

Just wanted to make this very absolutely clear. The best smartphone you will be able to get through Virgin Mobile on one of these plans will be the Blackberry Curve 2, which will also need an additional $10/month to support BIS.

These plans absolutely do not apply to the Sprint branded wireless business unit.

 

[her209]

The $25 plan would be perfect for me.

 

[abaez]

They are very strict to limit only their phones on the plan. So good luck getting anything but that BB or the LG phone (which look to be the only decent ones).

 

[AstroManLuca]

Because all of their plans are good deals on pre-paid. But I reiterate:

Pay very close attention to the fact that they are distinctly different business units with distinctly different product plans.

This has been discussed to death already over at howardforums. These "unlimited" plans are specific to Virgin Mobile customers only. You can not use anything other than the phones offered via Virgin Mobile. You can not activate any Sprint/Boost (or other carrier CDMA) phone to any of these Virgin Mobile prepaid plans.

Just wanted to make this very absolutely clear. The best smartphone you will be able to get through Virgin Mobile on one of these plans will be the Blackberry Curve 2, which will also need an additional $10/month to support BIS.

These plans absolutely do not apply to the Sprint branded wireless business unit.

Thanks for the explanation. The thread title was very misleading.

No offense rudeguy, I should have clicked through both links. The OP link repeats the same thing. The full information is here: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/...d=news_view&newsId=20100506005676&newsLang=en

So yeah, that one makes it clear that only Virgin Mobile is getting these plans. Which is somewhat interesting - prepaid seems like the way to go for people who don't need data - but it's not really useful for those who want postpaid plans with their fancy phones.

 

[rudeguy]

Thanks for the explanation. The thread title was very misleading.

No offense rudeguy, I should have clicked through both links. The OP link repeats the same thing. The full information is here: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/...d=news_view&newsId=20100506005676&newsLang=en

So yeah, that one makes it clear that only Virgin Mobile is getting these plans. Which is somewhat interesting - prepaid seems like the way to go for people who don't need data - but it's not really useful for those who want postpaid plans with their fancy phones.

Sorry guys...I posted this as a ninja edit to a thread I made about an Android tablet on DX. Feel free to turn this thread into a discussion about how public schools have failed miserably and I am walking proof.